All devices that use batteries require at least one battery holder. The battery holder is the structure or system that holds the battery in a fixed position and provides an electrical connection between the battery and the device.
Existing battery holders are not necessarily concerned with saving space and may be large and bulky. In the context of a printed circuit board, space is very limited and minimizing both area and height are very important.
Additionally, existing battery holders completely enclose the battery. Thus, in order to ascertain the polarity of the battery, one must either open the battery holder or remove the battery from the battery holder. This is problematic when working with printed circuit boards that require different polarities for different applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,901 issued to Jia-Hung Liu et al. on May 16, 2000 discloses a button battery holder for application to a printed circuit board. The holder comprises a closed bottom, side walls and positive and negative terminals. At least one of the side walls includes an access opening. The two terminals are secured to the holder and extend through corresponding slits in the bottom of the holder. The holder of Liu et al does not provide a minimal height and does not provide visual access to the polarity of the battery.